Tag Archives: Resurrection

So now Nekkie and Missy run to her mother, Princess Sophia Vasilyevna.

She’s

disgusting

old

fake

smoking pachitos ?

Yeah, Tolstoy spends some time talking about her long flashy teeth and her mouth and throat. It’s acting imagery. Everything looks “natural” enough yet “insincere” and “artificial.”

Next: she has this weird affair-ish thing with the doctor (his name’s Kolosov) which Nekhlyudov just remembered because its disgusting but it didn’t bother him before (aka before he found out Katusha fell through the cracks in a major way).

So their smoking and talking and Nekkie is thinking the whole time (and so are we) that they are just the worst.

But my favorite bit of this scene is the man-servant called Philips who has to adjust the curtains.

The broad-chested, muscular, handsome Philips bowed slightly, as if begging pardon; and stepping lightly across the carpet with his broad-calved, strong legs, obediently and silently went to the other window, and, looking at the Princess, began carefully to arrange the curtain so that not a single ray should dare fall on her. But again he did not satisfy her, and again she had to interrupt the conversation about mysticism, and correct in a martyred tone the unintelligent Philip, who was tormenting her so pitilessly. For a moment a light flashed in Philip’s eyes.

“The devil take you! What do you want?” was probably what he said to himself, thought Nekhlyudov, who had been observing the whole scene.

pg. 98

Haha good old Philips. I think we’d be friends in real life. So sassy.

Nekkie leaves the scene soon with Missy and is able to get rid of her too and be alone with his thoughts, so for the next chapter, cue the self-loathing.

So if anyone is following this, you’ll notice that I’m an absolute idiot because when I did an earlier post covering a lot of ground, I forgot that we were already TOLD what happened between Nekkie and Maslova that Eastertime. Therefore, I should fill in some blanks. Just think of it as an exclusive… there’s lots to tell. 😉

So, Nekhlyudov had to stay with his aunts after spending some time in the service. It was only about a week or so, but a lot can happen in a week.

He met Katusha (Maslova), and was instantly smitten. Lol he was cute.

Then Easter Midnight Mass came — the pinnacle of Nekkie and Katusha’s relationship. This is the purest, most gentle thing.

Here Tolstoy talks about man possessing two beings: one which is animal and one which is spiritual. (Of course this is completely dualistic and terrible metaphysics/theology, but we’ll allow it.) In this instance, the spiritual Nekkie is allowed to thrive, and it’s all thanks to Katusha.

This is one of my favorite parts because it shows the power of beauty and goodness to inspire the same in others. For a moment at least, the love between Nekhlyudov and Maslova is elevating.

from my camera

“In the love between a man and a woman there always comes a moment when this love has reached its zenith–a moment when it is unconscious, unreasoning, and with nothing sensual about it.”

pg 57

Ok, for a moment, I’m going to be real with you guys. Do you know what he’s talking about? I feel like very few people do anymore. Or if they do, they’ve let themselves forget about it because they assume it will never happen and they’d waste their golden years waiting if they pursued it.

Well, I haven’t even figured it all out yet and I can already tell you it’s worth pursuing. In my personal life, I’ve been very selective about who I choose to spend my time with on that front, and I just wanna ask:

Have you ever leaned on someone, drawing strength from their mere voice?
Or have you been moved by just staring into the depths of their eyes?
Maybe you felt uplifted just from the familiarity and goodness of their soul?

Wait for those things, because I’ve been able to personally relate to what Tolstoy was talking about.

TBD on whether or not he will let this win out or not. Probably not, to be honest. It’s Russian. But we’ll see.

Here’s some more about her:

“When he now recalled Katusha, that moment veiled all else: . . . her whole being stamped with those two marked characteristics, purity and chaste love–love not only for him (he knew that) but for everybody and everything, not for the good alone but for all that is in the world, even for that beggar whom she had kissed.”

pg 57

Sometimes when girls read characters like this, I think they get the wrong idea. At least some girls I know decide that they don’t want a virtuous woman as a main character in a book because they aren’t able to relate. I disagree. Most girls I know who are in their first bloom of romance act a bit like Katusha.

It’s so easy to be good when you’re happy. And those discovering their first love are among the happiest people in existence. For that moment, their longing to nurture and create the beauty and goodness in the world seems attainable. And why shouldn’t it be, if they are fulfilled?

from my camera

This was Katusha before her terrible disappointments, after which, perhaps all the cynical may relax and “relate” to her as much as they want. (If you sense a longing to write a blog post about this very subject, you aren’t mistaken.)

About him:

“He knew she had that love in her, because that night and morning he was conscious of it in himself, and conscious that in this love he became one with her. Ah! If it had all stopped there, at the point it had reached that night!”

Unfortunately, next something dreadful happens which really highlights Tolstoy’s use of Nekhlyudov as an image of mankind at large, and more specifically, man’s troubling concupiscence and likeliness to fall.

At this point, I feel bad for hyping up Nekkie’s scandal because it is quite sad.

Here’s what happened:

When Katusha comes by Nekhlyudov’s room after mass to tell him that dinner is prepared, he decides to pursue her. When she asks him by name, Dmitry Ivanich, to stop, he becomes momentarily confused and ashamed, but Tolstoy allows his baser desires to overcome his conscious, which has already been weakened from being around his rather vulgar contemporaries during his time in the service.

” . . . this confusing and shame were caused by the best feelings of his soul demanding to be set free; but he thought it was only his stupidity, and that he ought to behave as everyone else did. He overtook her again and kissed her on the neck.”

pg 58

It wasn’t that he kissed her. He kissed her earlier that night on the lips, but it was something pure and beautiful because it was sought under respect and love, and it was freely given. This one he stole out of lust.

Tolstoy says at least seven or eight times that Nekhlyudov knew he was doing wrong and that he could feel the goodness of his soul objecting, but at this point, after he’d allowed himself to steal that kiss, “[d]esire had taken entire possession of him.”

pg 61

And very soon, he can’t stop himself. He takes Katusha for his own.

from my camera

This section is very worth reading. There’s pathetic imagery everywhere (the surroundings reflecting the struggle going on between the characters’ relationships).

Then, the most tragic of all, Nekhlyudov leaves. It’s convenient for him because it would be difficult for him to keep up this thing he has with Katusha. After all, she’s pretty much a servant. And then… he PAYS her. Because it’s the thing to do.

“‘Take it; oh, you must!’ he stammered, and thrust the envelope into the bib of her apron, and ran back to his room, groaning and frowning as if he had hurt himself. . . . ‘And if everyone does the same … well, I suppose it can’t be helped.’ In this way he tried to get peace of mind, but in vain.”

pg 65

So he leaves, and later, when he hears of a child and her being sent away, though it may all be on account of him, he does nothing out of shame and embarrassment.

We fell this low; our characters can only go up from here. Or to Siberia.

As I sit here in this sticky dorm room, I have to write this depressing joke of a post because the idiots in court have gotten that girl to Siberia, which is fantastic, except not at all. It’s very Russian, I have to admit.

Ok so here it is: Freaking jury meets up and everything is looking up because the merchant would rather have mercy on everyone and honestly no one wants to put Maslova away.

Tisn’t the girl’s fault. She’s got mixed up in it . . . We must recommend her to mercy

Except possibly the foreman who has like some kind of iron fist, I don’t know he’s just one of those strict justice and no mercy people. Well, basically there are four questions they have to answer. Each of the accused have their own question of whether or not they poisoned Smelkov with the intent to kill and rob him. Bochkova has an extra one, the hag! Lol. Her extra is whether or not she actually did steal from him.

from my own camera

Personally, I’m with the merchant. “[I]t was all that red-eyed hag’s doing” (Tolstoy 79). But here’s what went down: Simon Kartinkin was found guilty of poisoning Smelkov. Bochova wasn’t, for that question, because there was no real proof of her being involved with the poisoning, but as to the robbery… GUILTY! Haha booyah.

But Maslova… oh dear. So when they tried to answer the question, they put that she was guilty of giving the powder, but they forgot something…

“They were all so tired, and so confused by the discussions, that nobody thought of adding that she was guilty of giving the powder, but without the intent to take life. Nekhlyudov was so excited that he did not notice this omission, and so the answers were written down in the form agreed upon and taken to the Court.”

p.83

Honestly, this trial was so mixed up that Tolstoy compares it to a case written by Rabelais, if that tells you anything. (If it doesn’t, read some of “Gargantua and Pantagruel,” I just did and it’s crayyyyy.)

So, she gets Siberia.

This means penal servitude in Siberia and she is innocent.

Nekhlyudov only finds this out when it’s a done deal, so of course he panics.

I had to jump ahead a little and catch up with my own reading!
The next few chapters detailed the members of the court coming and getting all set up for the trial. Even these characters that aren’t important for the duration of the novel are delightful:

“Next came the gloomy member of the Court, now more gloomy than ever, having met his brother-in-law, who informed him that he had just called in to see his sister (the member’s wife), and that she had told him there would be no dinner there that day.
‘So that evidently we shall have to call in at a cookshop,’ the brother-in-law added, laughing.
‘It is not a laughing matter,’ said the gloomy member, and became gloomier still.”

p. 24

from my own camera

And we continue! That girl, Maslova shows up again (it’s her trial after all, along with two other dummies I can’t stand). This is gonna shake everything up. All the members of the Court stare at her because she’s so gorgeous, so I don’t know how this trial is gonna end up. If she’s acquitted, then I have no idea how we’ll spend the remainder of the book.

So this is how it goes: it’s a little weakling called Simon Kartinkin, an old busybody named Bochkova, and our darling Maslova on trial for murder and theft. They all testify and Bochkova especially drives me crazy trying to pin everything on Maslova. No one is fooled.

Alright, so this idiot they poisoned was named Smelkov. And so he had Maslova that night and was very rough with her, giving her a ring because she threatened to leave. So then the poisoning right? Simon and Bochkova gave Maslova a powder to put into Smelkov’s drink, Maslova thinking that it’s just a sleeping draught. Then Maslova goes to withdraw some money Smelkov asked her to get and that stupid Kartinkin and Bochkova steal a crap ton of rubles.

Maslova cried during her testimony and told her story, insisting that she just followed orders, completely ignorant of the powder’s deadly properties. Thank goodness the president seems to be on her side.

But get this:

Nekhlyudov has recognized little Maslova by now and can hardly stop himself from sobbing along with her on trial. He knows her as Katusha though.

” . . . this was certainly the same Katusha who, on that Easter night, had so innocently looked up to him whom she loved, her fond, laughing eyes full joy and of life.”

p. 78

from my own camera

This is just perfect. As Nekhlyudov’s guilt grows, so does his potential for character development and moral recalibration and growth. You can tell there’s a lot here. He could really be someone great and this girl is gonna make it happen. Looking forward to learning about “that Easter night” as well. Ugh so excited. 🙂

Resurrection is already impressing me. I was told by a friend “The beginning is funny and then it gets very Russian. An apt description.

I was concerned at first because it didn’t seem funny at all except in a very satirical, dry kind of way, but it picked up. 😉 Anyway, it starts with this chick, Maslova, who’s in jail at the mo. She’s on her way to court. She seems like the Fantine type, you know, like the prostitute with the heart of gold. I believe chapter two said she had to options in life, one where she could work in a serving job and be humiliated daily, the other was… you know. But she’d have pretty dresses. And she likes dresses. That made me smile. She’s a simple girl. I think I’m going to like her. Well, the thread hasn’t come back to her yet.

I got right away this simple fact: guy think’s he’s the s***. Sorry for the crudeness, but that’s about it in a nutshell. I love him.

He’s known as a prince formally, so that sure doesn’t deescalate things. Nekhlyudov is also very wealthy and carries himself like no other.

Look here, you won’t get the full effect unless I put in a short passage:

“Had he been asked why he considered himself superior to the majority of people he could not have given an answer; the life he had been living of late was not particularly meritorious. He knew quite well that the fact of his speaking English, French, and German with a good accent, and of his wearing the best linen, clothes, ties, and studs, bought from the most expensive dealers in these goods, could not serve as a reason for claiming superiority. At the same time, he did claim superiority, accepted it as his due the respect paid him, and was hurt if he did not get it.”

Resurrection p. 18

Is this guy not the best?? I can tell from here that we’re gonna get some great lines from this guy. And the character development! It shows promise. It shows.